I don’t necessarily agree with everything he says (but I’m also not a tech billionaire, so…), but one thing is quite obvious - more and more people are starting to publicly call things as they (imo) are - Apple has become a stale, greedy company, with overpriced, often neglected and/or rehashed products that are intentionally gimped (planned obsolescence) or simply outdated (compared to cutting edge stuff competitors deliver these days). The software is also far-far-far from “it just works” experience these days.
you mean the minor camera ring on iphone? or all of the insane camera humps on Samsung, HTC, etc...? be more specific.One look at the camera hump and you get a pretty good impression this CEO might not be that crazy.
Just logged in to say that is spot-on imho
I was gonna say the same thing.Not inspiring that an aspiring car maker considers hardware of least importance.
Brave Apple foot soldiers lining up. Ridiculous but also funny.Guy making an electric car says Apple shouldn't make a 4-inch phone. Clearly, Apple has no idea what it is doing because it's making over 90% of the industry's profits.
This is just "look at me" rubbish.
will keep buying Apple but there is a sense to me that the direction has been lost. How much of that is down to the loss of Jobs I wouldn't like to say.
Maybe this article is based on a mistranslation? Concentrating on the Internet as their focus first means there is no product. The Internet is not a product, it's a set of protocols built in hardware and software.
Okay, he's the CEO, so he has no clue about what his employees are doing. What a surprise.
Apple doesn't innovate new things. They only reinvent. So they wait for others to take the chances so as not to be seen as a failure.
No, the quote was, Stop all importation. Not, Stop all native technology.They have no native technology to sanction.
"LeShi [another name for LeEco] is focused on the internet first, and only then on software, and finally on hardware."
From a company that is introducing a self driving electric car this statement makes me feel real safe...
To the west, your definition is correct. However, in China, the Internet is a state run and managed product just like a newspaper or other form of media.The Internet is not a product, it's a set of protocols built in hardware and software.
Apple is so out-of-date that this LayZhi guy even dresses like Steve Jobs.
His CGI model of a car is really great though, for a college student project. I'm sure he was a self-made man and not some nepotistic blessing from the central government. I'll go out shopping for a LeShi phone today to see what he is offering... oh, his phones are only available in China or in black market stalls.
"Apple is a mobile phone company"
The CEO of Chinese conglomerate LeEco has called Apple's product design "outdated" and "obsolete" in an international TV interview, following the company's unveiling of its first self-driving supercar in Beijing last week (via CNBC).
Jia Yueting is both CEO and chairman of LeEco (formerly LeTV), often referred to as the "Netflix of China", but which has a product range that spans smartphones, TVs, mountain bikes, and now electric vehicles. The 43-year-old entrepreneur began his career as a tech support worker before building his own IT and mobile company, estimated to be worth around $4.8 billion. The Chinese media company is also a strategic partner with US-based electric vehicle company Faraday Future (FF).
![]()
LeEco CEO Jia Yueting (Image: Imaginechina)
The company's smart LeSEE supercar was unveiled with much fanfare at a Beijing event last week. The self-driving car has a steering wheel that folds away and screens that offer up in-car entertainment for passengers. LeEco aims to outdo Tesla's Model S with its supercar, and also aims to bring LeSEE owners into its ecosystem by supplying them with in-car movies, TV shows, and music.
Jia spoke at a meeting of the China Entrepreneur Club, an exclusive summit of business leaders, where he explained why competition in the Chinese market from the likes of Apple did not worry him.
"We think the difference between us and Apple is very large. Apple is a mobile phone company focused on hardware and software," Jia said. "LeShi [another name for LeEco] is focused on the internet first, and only then on software, and finally on hardware."
![]()
The LeEco LeSEE concept electric sedan. (Image: LeEco)
![]()
Interior of the LeEco LeSEE concept electric sedan. (Image: LeEco)
Apple is expected to report a fall in smartphone sales when it announces second fiscal quarter (first calendar quarter) earnings tomorrow. During its Q4 results announcement in January, CEO Tim Cook noted "some signs of economic softness", but said Apple remained "very bullish on China" given the low penetration of high-speed mobile data usage and the growing middle class.
Apple Car rumors have gained momentum since early last year, when The Wall Street Journal reported that Apple has hundreds of employees working to develop an electric vehicle under the codename "Project Titan." The bulk of research and development may be taking place in secretive buildings in Sunnyvale, California, where late night "motor noises" have been heard in recent months, while one report claimed that Apple may have a facility in Berlin, too.
Article Link: Electric Car Challenger LeEco Calls Apple Product Design 'Obsolete'